Belchertown Select Board Adds 35 Action Items to Annual Goals Document

BELCHERTOWN -- July 8, 2026, Belchertown Select Board drafts roughly 35 action items across six goals at special July 8 session. Working backward through its priority areas, the five-member board added new items including a 10-year transfer station capacity study, a Town Hall space utilization study, a job description and compensation review estimated at between $35,000 and $40,000, the first such study in 14 years, and a begin-implementation item for a townwide keyless entry system. Town Manager Steve outlined a path for the government study committee item that depends on Collins Center for Municipal Operations grant support, noting "we're only going to get as far as developing a scope and a budget" before funding becomes the roadblock. The board also agreed to investigate safety alternatives at dangerous intersections throughout town, with pointed discussion of the Route 9 and Allen Road intersection, described by one member as producing "crickets" from MassDOT despite years of documented accidents. No final vote was taken; the document returns for formal approval at a future meeting.